Not even death can lessen love
by jnicweb
Summary: Heartbreak is common in hospitals.


**This story is dedicated to two dear family friends who will be reunited in death, just like they were in life. **

The crisp, white bed of the hospital was the wrong background for the small figure lying in it. She almost blended in, with her pale skin and silvery hair. Her face was carved with lines, laugh lines and smile crinkles that showed her normal joyful nature. Her open face betrayed her every emotion, even sitting alone in the hospital bed. Anyone could have seen how she liked to be outside, by the old scars on her elbows and knees that suggested many accidents and falls while enjoying life. Anyone could have seen her inquisitive nature by the multitude of wrinkles around her eyes that suggested she squinted a lot when trying to discern the truth. Anyone could have seen the way she adored her husband by the way her face lit up at his mention. Anyone could have seen the way she loved to laugh by the twinkle in her eyes that had never left in all her years walking the earth. To see her sitting helpless in a too-sanitized hospital was wrong. She should have been outside, alive and well, not confined to a hospital bed for the rest of her days. She should have gone out with a bang, not bested by a clumsy fall and a bad heart condition. To see her reduced to a small, frail figure with not a clue as to why she was here, where her beloved husband was, or even where she herself was, went against everything she stood for, and everything she cherished in life. All of the hospital staff felt for the poor old woman in room 13, who should have had a caring husband, beautiful children and thirty grandchildren next to her, but instead was alone, frightened and confused.

"Where is he? Where's Arthur?" Her quivery voice alerted the nurses to her distress. Her eyes were wide, and her face was pale, but she looked strong sitting there, like the mention of him alone would lend her the strength she needed. Even with her face wrapped up in bandages and her skin mottled with bruises, her first concern was her husband. The nurses marveled at her ability to speak through the pain she must have been going through, with the fractured bones in her face.

"I'm sorry Gwen, but Arthur's not here," one of the nurses took pity on the small figure lying in the hospital bed, hoping she was doing the right thing by answering her patient, and that Gwen would not need a more detailed answer. Because the nurse wasn't sure she could handle more heartbreak in the old woman's expression.

"Where is he?" Gwen asked again. Her entire body shook with uncontrollable tremors, and it was reflected in her voice. The nurses sighed; they thought that now at least she would be coherent enough to acknowledge her husband's absence. But Gwen was still looking around the small cubicle, not understanding what was happening. "Where is he? I want to see him please," she repeated when the nurses made no move to answer her question again.

"Well Gwen, the thing is, Arthur's injured too, and he's in a different hospital," the main nurse looked down at her hands as she delivered the vague news. She knew the frail woman in the bed was frightened and confused at the turn of events, and tried to soften the blow by speaking softly, like one would to a wild animal. All the nurses hoped that this would not be the moment that Gwen understood their message, because she didn't need any more disappointments right now.

Fortunately, Gwen only looked around at the noise of the nurse answering, but took no notice of the words. "Where is he? Why isn't he here?" she asked again. She looked around confused, like she couldn't grasp the fact that her husband really wasn't there. The nurses' hearts broke some more for the poor figure in the bed, who had no one to comfort her in her time of need.

"Um, he is in a different hospital Gwen. He got into a car accident and he's not expected to survive the night," the smallest nurse looked at the floor as she gave Gwen the answer she thought the patient was looking for, trying to make her comprehend the situation. But instead of accepting that answer, Gwen looked around curiously, like she thought she heard something, but wasn't quite sure.

"Where is he? I want to see him please," Gwen repeated her demand, acting like she hadn't heard the little nurse answer her question. Her strong voice from before was gone, and it was replaced with worry-induced quivers when she talked. The nurses looked uncomfortable at the repetition of Gwen's question. Her family friend had told them she often got confused about reality and fantasy, and there was no way to break her out of it. Only Arthur had been able to snap her out of her altered reality and back into the real world. Unfortunately, Arthur was in no state to help his confused wife.

One of the nurses went to answer her yet again, but the oldest nurse quieted her with a wave of her hand. She knew there was nothing they could do for Gwen now, except make her as comfortable as possible. They had all dealt with patients like Gwen, ones who got confused about the current events that had befallen them, ones who had refused to accept reality, either because of shock or age, but it still hurt to see someone who used to be so strong, diminished to something so weak. Her questions had ceased, but even though there were multiple abrasions to her skin, and bruises and discolorations that decorated her face, nothing could have hidden the worried and confused look that graced her aged expression.

The nurses busied themselves around the room, unable to look Gwen in the eye, because the expression on her face was heartbreaking to see. They hoped she found peace soon, because no one deserved this kind of life, bewildered and alone, waiting for someone to come who never would.

When the smallest nurse heard the heart monitor give one final beep until it evened out, she knew it was probably for the best. She went over to Gwen's bedside, and when she saw a small grin playing around the woman's lips, the nurse could almost see her as she had been years ago, without a care in the world, young and beautiful, in love and loved by someone who had made her happy beyond belief. And although it was sad to see such a lovely person leave this ugly world, all the nurses gathered around the bedside of the kind-hearted woman who had lived life to the fullest, and prayed for her good heart to find her husband's, so they would be together forever.


End file.
